Total monthly cost of ownership
Cost to Own a Home in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania
A $163,000 home here costs
$1,513per month, all in — with 20% down at today's 6.66% 30-year fixed rate.
A standard mortgage calculator would have told you $838. The real number is $675 higher every month — 81% more than the payment most buyers budget for.
Where every dollar goes
Only the first line is a mortgage payment. Change any assumption above and every figure below recalculates.
Forty Fort against Luzerne County and Pennsylvania
| Measure | Forty Fort | Luzerne County |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $163,400 | $163,800 |
| Median property tax | $2,683 | $2,506 |
| Effective tax rate | 1.642% | 1.530% |
| Median gross rent | $991 | $958 |
| Population | 4,235 | 325,978 |
The weather behind that power bill
Forty Fort sits in Luzerne County, which averages a high of 84.6°F in its hottest month and a low of 20.3°F in its coldest, with 38.72" of precipitation a year and 30% of it in a single three-month stretch. That climate drives 791 cooling and 5,740 heating degree days, which is what sets the $194 electricity line above.
See the full climate breakdown for Luzerne County — month by month temperatures, rainy season timing, snowfall and heating and cooling costs.
Other cities in Luzerne County
Full Luzerne County cost breakdown · Every county in Pennsylvania
Common questions
How much does it cost to own a home in Forty Fort?
A $163,000 home in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania costs approximately $1,513 per month with 20% down at 6.66%. That is $838 principal and interest, $223 property tax, $54 homeowners insurance, $262 utilities and $136 set aside for maintenance.
What is the property tax rate in Forty Fort?
Forty Fort has an effective property tax rate of 1.642%, based on a median home value of $163,400 and median real estate taxes of $2,683. That is higher than the Luzerne County average of 1.530%.
What is the average home price in Forty Fort?
The median owner-occupied home value in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania is $163,400, against $163,800 across Luzerne County.
Is it cheaper to rent or buy in Forty Fort?
Median gross rent in Forty Fort is $991 a month, against $1,513 to own the median home all in. Renting costs less month to month here, though renting builds no equity.
Sources & methodology
- Median home value, real estate taxes, gross rent and population for Forty Fort — US Census Bureau, American Community Survey ACS 2023 5-Year, place-level tables.
- Homeowners insurance — NAIC average premium for Pennsylvania.
- Electricity price — EIA Electric Power Monthly Table 5.6.A.
- Mortgage rate — Freddie Mac PMMS, refreshed weekly.
- Maintenance (1%/yr) and water and sewer ($68/mo) are national estimates. Every assumption above is editable.